TAP® Incline Board

Warm up and watch the mound first. After warm-up, throw a few mound pitches — film them from a fixed side spot if you can. Pick one thing to work on: the push, the drop, or the landing.

Set the board and the foot position. Set the board on level turf with the slope falling toward the target, the pitcher standing sideways on it. Put the drive foot on the surface where the work needs it: higher on the surface for the most drop, around the middle for less, on the lower part for the least. Measured along the surface from the front edge, the drive foot stands 3.5 inches off the ground at 6.75 inches, 4.5 inches at 10.5 inches, 5.5 inches at 14.25 inches, and 6.5 inches at 18 inches — moving the foot up or down the board changes the drop, not the slope under the foot. Keep the whole foot on the rubber, and set the drive foot the way the athlete sets it on the mound.

Other setups, from the field. The standard setup is the downhill one above. Texas Baseball Ranch coaches also turn the board around or sideways for specific problems: uphill, with the stride foot pushing into the slope — practitioners use uphill throws for sequencing and for feeling the hips get included in the throw; sideways with the slope falling toward the toes, so a pitcher who drifts forward has to resist it; and sideways toward the heels, to feel the hips sit back and hold posture. Those are field variations — this page covers the standard setup.

Mix the throws. One board throw, then two to four mound throws, for three to four rounds — fastballs at controlled effort, same delivery and pitch type on both. As the change shows up on the mound, shift toward more mound throws.

Judge it on the mound. If the named problem is not changing on the mound throws, adjust the setup or choose a different tool. Pain, a slip, or a new problem showing up on the mound ends the block. Count every board throw in the day’s total; skip board work the day before or after a start.

Pitchers 13 and older with an established delivery — not for building one from scratch — throwing without pain. It is for pitchers working on a named problem: drive timing and back-hip loading, holding the hips closed, stride timing, posture against forward drift, or landing control. Programs with limited mound access use it to add a drop to flat-ground practice, or run it as a station while other pitchers throw on the mound, rotating each pitcher onto the mound for the check throws.

• It does not replace a mound, a throwing program, or coaching.
• We make no claim that it adds velocity.
• We make no claim that it reduces injury risk or protects the arm or any joint.
• It does not diagnose a delivery problem or clear a pitcher to throw; the readiness and footing checks are observations, not medical clearance.
• It is not a medical, therapeutic, or rehabilitation device.

Oates Specialties training tools are designed for athletes 13 and older, under qualified adult or coach supervision, with load and volume matched to the athlete’s size, strength, and movement quality. Stop immediately if sharp or unusual discomfort occurs.

• Not a toy: a training implement for supervised use by athletes and coaches, not a play item.
• Not for impact use: not designed for impact against another person or object; use only on level, firm turf with clear landing space.
• Not a rehabilitation device: not a substitute for medical treatment or physical therapy.

Before each session: an adult engages every locking support — push the high end; it should not flex, rock, or slide — and inspects the rubber, hinge, and supports. Clean turf shoes with good tread only; no metal spikes. Readiness check: the pitcher holds the set position at their mark for 10 seconds and 10 seconds on the stride leg on flat ground, and sticks three step-downs off the board’s side — unsteady footing or pain means no board throws that day. One half-speed push at the mark before the first throw; any slide stops board work. One athlete at a time; fingers clear of the hinge. Replace worn, torn, or lifting rubber. An adult handles folding and carrying; never fold, move, or adjust the board while anyone is on it. Store the board folded, dry, and out of the weather and direct sun. Any ankle roll, a fall with symptoms, swelling, or pain that persists ends the athlete’s participation until a qualified healthcare professional clears them to return.